John waffen



JOHN wnrrnn,

AND DANIEL PLACE.

manners.

SELJGKFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,559, dated February 26, 188$.

Application filed June 16, 18

To all whom it nmy'concewz:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WAFFEN, of Hancook, in the county of Houg'hton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved 5 Explosive Compound, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of a new and useful composition ofmatter to be used as a high explosive.

The composition consists of lwoscpzn-atelyrepaired mixtures or substances which are afterward mixed together and ('Ol'HblllGLl l'i) form the explosive. The first of these mixtures constitutes a chemieallynct-ive absorbent, and the second one a specially-prepared nitro-glycerine with collodion.

The chemically-active, absorbent is composed of the following ingredients, combined in. about the proportions stated, viz: nitrate of soda,'(sodii nit-res.) 22.50 parts;'deeeyed Wood, well dried, (punk) 236.00 parts; picric I acid, parts; sulphur, 1.00 parts; soda, curbonete of, (sod-ii. carbouas,) .25 parts. Conibined with these is the second partof the composition, which consists of forty per cent. of nitro -glycerine specially prepared with collodion, substantially as hereinafter described.

The first part oi .the coinpositionthut is, the chemically-active absorbent--hos its several ingredients round and mixed by any suitable apparatus, but preferably by putting them, together with bells made of wood or cop per, into a horizontellprotatin wooden cylinder,snid ballsbeing of about one-third greater Weight than the quantity of the above-named composition in the cylinder, which kept re volving for about eight hours (more or less) at a speed not ezrccodii-zg tu'e -t'our revolutions, or therea'oout, per minute The chemieali wactive absorbent having he its ingredients 15 or otherwise suitably ground and mixed, 1 then proceed. to add the specially prepared illil'O-gl:.06lili8, which consists of ninety-four per cent. of nitro-giycerinc proper and six per cent. of oollodion, the coiiodion baring the properly of couvertin the nitroglyceruc into a thick tllllp-lllifl fluid; To 'e this nitro-glycerine i put into a wooden 'ztvof suitable the ninety-four l l l so. Eeriellio. 277,357. on specimens) parts of nitro'n-lycerine proper the six parts of collodion, gradually pouring the latter into the nitro-glycerine and stirring the mass while doing so, whereupon in a short in terval of time the ingredients will be con- 5 verted into the thick sirup-like mass above. mentioned. By thus treating the nitro-glyceu ine a great transmutation is effected-tl1at is to say, the danger attaching to ordinary nitrog'lycerine is materially diminished, its celerity augmented, and its explosive power multip;lied-and such specially prepared nitroglycerine n .d with any absorbent will re sist any pressure applied to cause its outflow or separation from the absorbent.

To produce a greater develo nncnt 0t gases and to retard the suddcnuessof the action of the explosive, the chemically-active absorbent hereinbefore described has been designed. 'lhis chemically-active absorbent is in itself highly in flammable. By the combination of the picric acid, sulphur, and decayed wood with the nitrate of soda the volume of gases resulting from the preparation is materially augmented and secures the perfectcombustion of the nitro-glyoeriue when'mixed with it, while the caroonate of soda in the composition is specially designed to prevent. that spontaneous explosion which is of such frequent occurrence with nitro-glycerine com pounds as ordinarily prepared.

To produce the explosive i take about sixty parts of the prepared ch01nically-nctive absorbent, and, placing it in a wooden vessel, graduell add thereto about forty parts of the prepared nitro-giycerine compound and mix the whole thoroughly until the entire muss shall present the appearance of a uniforinly fatty substa nce, which completes the production of the explosive. Such explosiv may then be piaced in cylindrical-shaped pd per cartridges, which may be packed in wooden boxes ready for use. The appearance of the explosive is that. of a dark-brown plastic moss, and its properties are such that 95 it will ignite rapidly upon the application of iire without causing any explosion; but by the use of the percussione; p and fuse employed for exploding other priigimations of nitrugrlyoerine a loud detonation will be pro- 100 duced. Said explosive is not aifected by ww claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters ter or moisture, and is not susceptible of Patent, -ischange excepting when exposed to a tempen The herein-described composition of matter ture exceeding 110 Fahrenheit. An exploto be used as an explosive, consisting of ni sion, however, may be produced by violent trate of soda, decayed n qod, pieric acid, s'ul-- impact with or blow on it of iron, steel, or pliur, carbonate ofsod'a, and nitro-glycerine Z other hard substance. I having collodion mixed with it, substantially 2o,

To prevent accident, the same precaution f as'and in or about the proportions specified. should be used in handling this explosive as e T A 19 is or should be observed in using and hand- 'I ling all high explosives or eombinatio'n'sof nit-ro-glyeerine. I,

, Haringtlmsgleseribed my inventiofigivhatl lVitnesses: J SEPH A. CRoWELL, v KLOEOKNER. 

